the DOT has met each one and it has worked hard to help our State and local governments meet their deadlines

So you don't see that as the sole responsibility is going to be them?

That's why we need to move quickly toward a long-term authorization of the highway, safety, and transit programs.

the transportation budget has a real impact on real people, people who are struggling in these tough economic times

I look forward to hearing from you, Mr. Secretary, on where the greatest risks exist in rail transit and what steps the Department can take to make transit safer for the millions of Americans who rely on it for their daily commutes.

I want to thank Secretary Chu for coming today, and I want to start out by asking you a few questions about some decisions that the administration has made on Yucca Mountain that I have been very dismayed by.

The American people deserve to have faith in the safety of the cars and trucks they drive to work.

How long will that take?

But, in the end, it all comes back to Congress, because all capital is subsidized by Congress, in one fashion, form, or another.

Every month sooner we get the legislation is another $300 million in net receipts to the FHA Fund.

Do you think the Department's authority to level civil enforcement penalties is sufficient?

we cannot stop working until our economy is steadily growing again and any American who wants a job can find one

NHTSA must ensure the industry is honest in disclosing defects, and timely in alerting drivers, particularly when these defects can result in fatal accidents.

So then as these things go on, you are beginning to think are you beginning to pour good money after bad.

I am not assured that the administration sees the value of water as a clean energy source.

I agree. We have got to find a long-term solution on this, but I am concerned about the absence of detail in the proposal so far and its cost.

Seeing these programs shut off, even just for a short time, is especially troubling.

As we sit here today, millions of Americans are out of work and many more are struggling with unaffordable mortgage payments, negative home equity, or foreclosure.

This is critical to a number of our agricultural industry now in my State.

The President's budget requested 46 positions for vehicle safety. How many of those positions will be used to hire software engineers?

Your budget request includes $4 billion for a new agency at DOT--the Infrastructure Fund, or I-Fund.

I wanted to ask you, Mr. Secretary, this morning, if I have your commitment to work closely with us, following that directive in SAFETEA-LU, to allocate ferry funding in 2010.

Any kind of radical change in the role of the GSEs could also mean a dramatic change for FHA and Ginnie Mae.

Thirty percent is too much. We all agree with that.

The DOT is doing good work in so many areas, but we can never ignore the core mission of this agency: to make sure the safety of our Nation's transportation system is there for all of our families.